Jonathon Toon
@jonathontoon.com
Designer, et cetera · https://jonathontoon.com
Pinned
Jonathon Toon
@jonathontoon.com
· Sep 7
After a year of being a full-time dad, I'm looking for what's next. With a career in fintech, SMB and dev tools. I've built products, shipped code and managed teams as both a designer and director. I'm looking for small teams with conviction to be profitable. Building low and slow.
jonathontoon.com
jonathontoon.com
Reposted by Jonathon Toon
After a year of being a full-time dad, I'm looking for what's next. With a career in fintech, SMB and dev tools. I've built products, shipped code and managed teams as both a designer and director. I'm looking for small teams with conviction to be profitable. Building low and slow.
jonathontoon.com
jonathontoon.com
September 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
After a year of being a full-time dad, I'm looking for what's next. With a career in fintech, SMB and dev tools. I've built products, shipped code and managed teams as both a designer and director. I'm looking for small teams with conviction to be profitable. Building low and slow.
jonathontoon.com
jonathontoon.com
After a year of being a full-time dad, I'm looking for what's next. With a career in fintech, SMB and dev tools. I've built products, shipped code and managed teams as both a designer and director. I'm looking for small teams with conviction to be profitable. Building low and slow.
jonathontoon.com
jonathontoon.com
September 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
After a year of being a full-time dad, I'm looking for what's next. With a career in fintech, SMB and dev tools. I've built products, shipped code and managed teams as both a designer and director. I'm looking for small teams with conviction to be profitable. Building low and slow.
jonathontoon.com
jonathontoon.com
Lately I've been struggling to get inspired by the design of most modern marketing websites and landing pages.
They’re either super vague, saying little, or too complex with visuals and animations, leaving me overwhelmed.
Just me?
They’re either super vague, saying little, or too complex with visuals and animations, leaving me overwhelmed.
Just me?
July 24, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Lately I've been struggling to get inspired by the design of most modern marketing websites and landing pages.
They’re either super vague, saying little, or too complex with visuals and animations, leaving me overwhelmed.
Just me?
They’re either super vague, saying little, or too complex with visuals and animations, leaving me overwhelmed.
Just me?
I reckon AI design is close to having its Bootstrap.css moment. Clean and functional results that all look the same.
As new technology raises the floor for "good enough", distinctiveness becomes the new moat.
Weird beats optimal.
As new technology raises the floor for "good enough", distinctiveness becomes the new moat.
Weird beats optimal.
July 21, 2025 at 9:42 PM
I reckon AI design is close to having its Bootstrap.css moment. Clean and functional results that all look the same.
As new technology raises the floor for "good enough", distinctiveness becomes the new moat.
Weird beats optimal.
As new technology raises the floor for "good enough", distinctiveness becomes the new moat.
Weird beats optimal.
In 15 years as a product designer, I've seen early-career designers struggle with the gap between tidy processes and messy, real work. Inspired by this observation, I recently gave a guest lecture to design students at the University of Canterbury about navigating this gap, read on about it below.
July 16, 2025 at 4:07 AM
In 15 years as a product designer, I've seen early-career designers struggle with the gap between tidy processes and messy, real work. Inspired by this observation, I recently gave a guest lecture to design students at the University of Canterbury about navigating this gap, read on about it below.
One of my many hobbies has been trying all sorts of logic puzzles, followed by learning the mechanics of how they can be algorithmically solved. So to scratch my own itch I finally wrote my own library for generating/solving Sudoku.
github.com/jonathontoon...
github.com/jonathontoon...
GitHub - jonathontoon/sudoku: A TypeScript implementation of Peter Norvig's constraint propagation Sudoku solver algorithm.
A TypeScript implementation of Peter Norvig's constraint propagation Sudoku solver algorithm. - jonathontoon/sudoku
github.com
June 20, 2025 at 10:10 AM
One of my many hobbies has been trying all sorts of logic puzzles, followed by learning the mechanics of how they can be algorithmically solved. So to scratch my own itch I finally wrote my own library for generating/solving Sudoku.
github.com/jonathontoon...
github.com/jonathontoon...
"Steve Jobs would've never..."
Ya'll need to let go. Seriously.
Ya'll need to let go. Seriously.
June 10, 2025 at 11:02 PM
"Steve Jobs would've never..."
Ya'll need to let go. Seriously.
Ya'll need to let go. Seriously.
Nothing ground breaking or revolutionary happened in the interface design world today, right?
June 9, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Nothing ground breaking or revolutionary happened in the interface design world today, right?
ChatGPT will remember this.
May 14, 2025 at 10:42 PM
ChatGPT will remember this.
This is how it's mean't to be, and how it was from the beginning, with institutions like Bauhaus.
The downside of software is designers have delegated too much. And instead we have focused heavily on the intangible (facilitating process) rather than the tangible (learning through building).
The downside of software is designers have delegated too much. And instead we have focused heavily on the intangible (facilitating process) rather than the tangible (learning through building).
May 14, 2025 at 9:35 PM
This is how it's mean't to be, and how it was from the beginning, with institutions like Bauhaus.
The downside of software is designers have delegated too much. And instead we have focused heavily on the intangible (facilitating process) rather than the tangible (learning through building).
The downside of software is designers have delegated too much. And instead we have focused heavily on the intangible (facilitating process) rather than the tangible (learning through building).
I STILL can't get over how Dropbox at one point had one of the best mobile email clients around, killed it, and THEN decided to pivot harder into Enterprise.
Makes no sense...
Makes no sense...
May 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I STILL can't get over how Dropbox at one point had one of the best mobile email clients around, killed it, and THEN decided to pivot harder into Enterprise.
Makes no sense...
Makes no sense...
Designers need to move on from Jobs and Ive imo.
May 9, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Designers need to move on from Jobs and Ive imo.
I wonder if Jony Ive ever tried to refund an angry customer on Stripe.
May 9, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I wonder if Jony Ive ever tried to refund an angry customer on Stripe.
I'm over design frameworks 1/5 🧵
It's about time we see as an industry that we have over-indexed on trying to distill an inherently variable and chaotic sequence of events into a predictable, easy path to success under the guise of a 'UX framework'.
It's about time we see as an industry that we have over-indexed on trying to distill an inherently variable and chaotic sequence of events into a predictable, easy path to success under the guise of a 'UX framework'.
April 19, 2025 at 1:58 AM
I'm over design frameworks 1/5 🧵
It's about time we see as an industry that we have over-indexed on trying to distill an inherently variable and chaotic sequence of events into a predictable, easy path to success under the guise of a 'UX framework'.
It's about time we see as an industry that we have over-indexed on trying to distill an inherently variable and chaotic sequence of events into a predictable, easy path to success under the guise of a 'UX framework'.
Reposted by Jonathon Toon
graphic design is my passion
March 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
graphic design is my passion
The harsh truth about product design portfolios in 2025 is that cookie-cutter case studies just won’t do. Hiring managers want more.
To support junior designers with such challenges I'm now offering 1:1 sessions to help them stand out.
Don't get overlooked, book a call now.
cal.com/jonathon-too...
To support junior designers with such challenges I'm now offering 1:1 sessions to help them stand out.
Don't get overlooked, book a call now.
cal.com/jonathon-too...
Portfolio & Resume Review | Jonathon Toon | Cal.com
Portfolio & Resume Review
cal.com
March 10, 2025 at 9:36 PM
The harsh truth about product design portfolios in 2025 is that cookie-cutter case studies just won’t do. Hiring managers want more.
To support junior designers with such challenges I'm now offering 1:1 sessions to help them stand out.
Don't get overlooked, book a call now.
cal.com/jonathon-too...
To support junior designers with such challenges I'm now offering 1:1 sessions to help them stand out.
Don't get overlooked, book a call now.
cal.com/jonathon-too...
The website of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is a vibe.
February 27, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The website of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is a vibe.
Surviving the first 100 days as a new parent makes me feel like I can do anything.
February 27, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Surviving the first 100 days as a new parent makes me feel like I can do anything.
I'm fortunate enough to be giving a talk to a cohort of product design students in the coming months. I'm keen to impart some wisdom about our industry that goes beyond basic education.
What’s something you wish you knew earlier that you only learned after working as a designer?
What’s something you wish you knew earlier that you only learned after working as a designer?
February 20, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I'm fortunate enough to be giving a talk to a cohort of product design students in the coming months. I'm keen to impart some wisdom about our industry that goes beyond basic education.
What’s something you wish you knew earlier that you only learned after working as a designer?
What’s something you wish you knew earlier that you only learned after working as a designer?
I can't believe it has taken so long for me to have seen Hypernormalisation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr7T...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr7T...
Hypernormalisation | Full Documentary | Adam Curtis
YouTube video by Adam Curtis Documentaries
www.youtube.com
February 4, 2025 at 7:58 AM
I can't believe it has taken so long for me to have seen Hypernormalisation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr7T...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr7T...
There's no better feeling than recklessly closing several browser windows, each filled with numerous open tabs.
January 31, 2025 at 9:31 AM
There's no better feeling than recklessly closing several browser windows, each filled with numerous open tabs.
Reposted by Jonathon Toon
More work today, now with a name – encryptanyfile.com.
Deployment done, now testing interactions: mostly quirks on mobile web and the different types of prompt responses.
Next is file processing and encryption via web workers.
Feedback welcome!
#yearoftheterminal
Deployment done, now testing interactions: mostly quirks on mobile web and the different types of prompt responses.
Next is file processing and encryption via web workers.
Feedback welcome!
#yearoftheterminal
January 29, 2025 at 2:43 AM
More work today, now with a name – encryptanyfile.com.
Deployment done, now testing interactions: mostly quirks on mobile web and the different types of prompt responses.
Next is file processing and encryption via web workers.
Feedback welcome!
#yearoftheterminal
Deployment done, now testing interactions: mostly quirks on mobile web and the different types of prompt responses.
Next is file processing and encryption via web workers.
Feedback welcome!
#yearoftheterminal
When you have a newborn...
Hey there, 3am! Fancy seeing you here again.
January 28, 2025 at 12:19 PM
When you have a newborn...
Holy shit, Deafheaven is dropping a new album. Which is going to be a return to form by the sounds of it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h_W...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h_W...
Deafheaven - Magnolia (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Deafheaven
www.youtube.com
January 28, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Holy shit, Deafheaven is dropping a new album. Which is going to be a return to form by the sounds of it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h_W...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h_W...
Made some great progress in the last week on a prompt-driven interface for a new app idea. Inspired in-part by @internetstudio.bsky.social's sacred.computer and @emilwidlund.bsky.social 's ponderings.
January 28, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Made some great progress in the last week on a prompt-driven interface for a new app idea. Inspired in-part by @internetstudio.bsky.social's sacred.computer and @emilwidlund.bsky.social 's ponderings.